Detail of Lesser Date Moth(Batrachedra amydraula) attack to a Palm Date fruit. Note the typical sign of infestation by the presence of a dry date among the normal green ones in the bunch.

Plant Protection

The agricultural areas in the Southern Arava are relatively isolated from each other, as well as from other agricultural areas in other parts of the country. Despite this isolation there are many varied plant pests and diseases in our fields.

For many years the Southern Arava R&D- with the assistance of its researchers, instructors from the Ministry of Agriculture's Extension Service in plant protection and researchers in the Agricultural Research Organization (ARO)- have been working to cope with the problems caused by plant pests and diseases.

Since the Southern Arava is a border region between Egypt and Jordan (and close to Saudi Arabia) we have witnessed from time to time the incursion of new species of pests which were previously unseen in our region.

Arava R&D devotes great efforts to cope with the challenges of plant protection in the Arava, and with no small measure of success.